Overview
- Joshua Van won a unanimous decision over Alexandre Pantoja to keep the UFC flyweight title, with judges scoring the rematch 49-46, 49-47 and 50-45.
- The five-round main event took place Saturday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and saw Van close strongly by increasing output in the fifth, dropping Pantoja and nearly securing a submission.
- A clash of heads in round two opened a cut on Pantoja that prompted a doctor’s check and a complaint to referee Herb Dean but no point deduction was given.
- The California State Athletic Commission disclosed base payouts showing Pantoja at $650,000 and Van at $500,000 while noting those figures exclude performance bonuses and undisclosed side agreements.
- The card’s co-main ended with Arman Tsarukyan knocking out Mauricio Ruffy late in round one, a finish that bolsters Tsarukyan’s case for a lightweight title opportunity.